Defending champions Islamabad United defeat Lahore Qalandars by 5 wickets to win the opening fixture of the fourth version of Pakistan Tremendous League on the Dubai Worldwide Cricket Stadium.

The defending champions won the toss and selected to bowl.

Qalandars received off to a superbbegin as openers Fakhar Zaman and Sohail Akhtar placed on a 97-run opening partnership. The stand got here to an finish when the latter was dismissed for 37 off 30 deliveries with 4 boundaries and a six to his.

Zaman and South African veteran AB de Villiers took the full to 129 with their 32-run stand earlier than the opening batsman fell after scoring 65 off 44 balls which included six fours and three maximums.

After De Villiers departed after scored a 17-ball 24, there was little to no resistance proven by the center order and the aspect managed 171-Eightof their 20 overs.

United began the run chase of 172 in a optimisticmethod as Luke Ronchi and Rizwan Hussain scored a 45-run opening stand.

Rahat Ali managed to bag three fast wickets which put the sportagain in Qalandars’ favour.

Cameron Delport and Hussain Talat recovered the aspect with their 55-run stand on the fourth wicket.

After Hussain Talat and Cameron Delport’s dismissal, it was Faheem Ashraf and Asif Ali who got here to the aspect’s rescue with their unbeaten 59-run partnership and took the aspect to victory.

Rahat Ali provides away solely three runs as United openers fail to learn him

Over 1: Islamabad United 14-0 (require 158 extra runs to win)

Luke Ronchi 11 (4b)
Rizwan Hussain 3 (2b)

Bowler: Shaheen Afridi (4-1-2-1-0-6)

Ronchi hits a 4and 6 as 14 runs come off Shaheen Shah Afridi’s first over

LAHORE QALANDARS

Over 20: Lahore Qalandars 171-8

Mohammad Hafeez 5 (3b)

Bowler: Mohammad Sami (6-1-1-W-2-W)

Each captains shall behappy with the 172-run goal. Lahore Qalandars shall behappy with their sturdyrating on a pitch the place the ball isn’t fairlyapproaching to the bat, whereas Sami and co shall behappy with the way in which they clawed again into the sport after Fakhar Zaman and Sohail Akhtar received them off to a flier with their 97-run stand initially of the innings.

WICKET: Shaheen Shah Afridi lbw b Mohammad Sami 2 (2b 0x4 0x6)

WICKET: Yasir Shah run out (Luke Ronchi) 5 (3b 1×Four 0x6)

Over 19: Lahore Qalandars 161-6

Yasir Shah 0 (1b)
Mohammad Hafeez 4 (2b)

Bowler: Faheem Ashraf (0-W-1-4-W-1lb)

Faheem Ashraf with one other tight over as Lahore disappoint on thedemise.

Whats up and welcome to the dwell updates of the opening day of PSL4 as defending champions Islamabad United kick off their marketing campaigntowards Lahore Qalandars in Dubai. Each side are tryingaheadto start out their journey on a profitableword.

Mauricio Pochettino saluted his Tottenham “heroes” as they took a huge step towards reaching the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the last-16 first-leg on Wednesday.

Pochettino’s side had been under the cosh as Dortmund dominated the first half at Wembley, but Hugo Lloris kept them level with a series of fine saves.

That set the stage for a sublime second half from Tottenham, who were sparked into life by a fine finish from South Korea forward Son Heung-min.

Son’s fourth goal in his last four appearances took him to 16 for the season, but none have been as priceless as this one.

Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen capped his own powerful performance when he swept in their second goal in the closing stages and substitute Fernando Llorente’s late third put the seal on a remarkable result.

Insisting his players deserved all the praise after emerging from a gruelling schedule with their best result of the season, Pochettino said: “I want to congratulate my players one more time. It was a fantastic game, a massive effort.

“My players are heroes. They deserve a lot of praise for the effort they are doing this season. It is amazing.”

Although Tottenham still have to survive the second-leg at Signal Iduna Park on March 5, they have a golden opportunity to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2011.

“3-0 is a very good result but it is only the first-leg. When you have a team in front of you like Dortmund you need to respect them,” Pochettino said.

It was an especially impressive success for Pochettino given he was without the injured Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Danny Rose and Ben Davies.

Pochettino devised a clever game-plan that eventually frustrated Dortmund and secured Tottenham’s first ever Champions League knockout-round win at home.

With Rose and Davies sidelined, Pochettino deployed centre-back Vertonghen out of position at left wing-back and switched to a three-man defence that stifled the Bundesliga leaders.

“It is my job to prepare the strategy. Maybe today everyone will say it was a fantastic decision. If it was a different result, people might say I’m the worst coach in the world,” he said.

“The first half was very difficult. We didn’t feel the confidence to play. We were a little bit lucky because when Son scored it was a massive boost to our confidence.”

Dortmund boss Lucien Favre bemoaned his team’s collapse, saying: “The start of the second half we gave it away.”We should have got the ball forward rather than played from the back for their first goal. That was a gift.

“After that we played a bit too hastily. The pressing was intensive from Tottenham,” said Dortmund boss.

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) may well be the most competitive tournament in world cricket. Margins at the PSL have been small so far and they will continue to be small this time around too.

Matches will be decided by a hair’s breadth so it is all the more important that teams answer all the questions that they face before the start of the PSL. We take a look at three of the biggest questions each team faces.

Multan Sultans

Where will the runs come from?

Multan Sultan started brightly last year but then fell away so emphatically that they didn’t even finish in the top four despite at one point being favourites to finish top.

Steven Smith has been ruled out due to injury and Kumar Sangakkara is no longer a part of the side. Multan may well have put all their eggs in very specific batting baskets.

What number will Malik bat on?

Multan are a bottom-heavy side that boasts the firepower of Shoaib Malik, Andre Russell and of course Shahid Afridi to name a few but may struggle to find the right balance in the batting line-up.

With so many players capable of providing the late impetus, it will be interesting to see whether skipper Malik decides to promote himself up the order and anchor the innings for his side.

How will the big names fare?

Afridi, Rusell, Malik alongside the likes of Junaid Khan, Muhammad Irfan, Shan Masood, Mohammad Abbas and James Vince makes for a strong team on paper but it will be interesting to see whether these household names can live up to the billing.

Apart from a few, they are either past their prime or playing in a format they aren’t particularly suited for.

Peshawar Zalmi

How will Kamran Akmal perform?

Kamran Akmal has taken a liking to the Pakistan Super League, and the wicketkeeper batsman has almost made it a habit of saving his best for the mega tournament.

Peshawar have punched above their weight in almost every tournament and Kamran’s performances at the top of the order are one of the biggest reasons for it. How he performs this time around may well determine how far Peshawar go.

What role will Misbah play?

Like Multan, Peshawar boast a lot of explosive power in their late middle order. The likes of Darren Sammy, SohaibMaqsood, Keiron Pollard, Umar Amin and Chris Jordan are all players who are more comfortable towards the latter part of the innings.

Misbah, all of 44 years old, has the experience and the knowhow to hold up one end and play the long knock while others go for boundaries from the other end. With so much hitting power late on, Sammy may even be tempted to promote one of Wahab Riaz or Hasan Ali up the order a la Sunil Narine.

How will the pacers perform?

One of the lasting images of PSL3 was Wahab Riaz stroking his Mitchell Johnson-inspired moustache after every wicket.

The left-armer from Lahore was among the wickets in last edition and Sammy has an enviable barrage of pacers to call upon. Hasan, Wahab and Jordan will play a crucial role as Sammy and his men look to win their second PSL title after narrowly missing out last year.

Quetta Gladiators

Will Sarfaraz continue to inspire Quetta?

Skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed led Pakistan to 11 consecutive T20I series wins under his captaincy and is the ideal man to lead unfancied Quetta Gladiators once again.

The Gladiators have played in two finals previously but could not cross the final hurdle. Sarfaraz has improved as a captain every year and Quetta will need all his canniness if they are to compete for the title once again.

How will they utilise their experienced overseas stars?

Quetta’s roster includes the veteran trio of Shane Watson, Dwayne Braro and Sunil Narine, and Sarfaraz may arguably have the best mix of overseas players at his disposal. Shane Watson is the highest scoring foreign batsman in PSL history and is second only to Kamran Akmal in the number of sixes he has hit.

Apart from having an economy rate of just 6.22, as well as the third best strike-rate in the competition’s history, Quetta will be looking to make full use of Narine’s bowling and newfound batting abilities; even though he has been ruled out of the earlier stages of the tournament by a finger injury.

How will the local talent fare?

Opener Ahmad Shahzad has scored 705 runs for Quetta in the PSL so far, and lags behind only Kamran and Babar in the scoring charts.

Spinner Mohammad Nawaz tally of 30 wickets is also the highest for a spinner in the PSL and is behind only pacers Wahab and Sami in the all-time rankings.

Sarfaraz will once again be turning to his two key local talents during crunch situations.

Lahore Qalandars

What can AB de Villiers do for Lahore?

AB de Villiers is one of the biggest names in cricket and he joins perpetual underperformers Lahore Qalandars for the fourth edition.

If anybody can get this team out of their rut then it is the former South Africa skipper, who can be delightful and devastating in equal measure.

Lahore fans will be hoping De Villiers’ presence proves to be a shot in the arm of a team struggling for any semblance of momentum in the league.

Will the senior players step up?

Lahore’s new captain Mohammad Hafeez has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders and will be hoping international teammates Yasir Shah, FakharZaman and HarisSohail can step up the plate as well.

The Qalandars have been let down in the past by their experienced men so the quartet will be doubly determined to prove the critics wrong.

Will absence of big foreign names haunt Lahore?

The Lahore outfit may boast arguably the biggest foreign name of the lot in De Villiers but there is little else that will get the average Lahore fan excited for tournament.

Zimbabwean batsman Brendan Taylor and World T20I final hero Carlos Brathwaite are part of the squad but do not get the excitement flowing in the same way that De Villiers or other high-profile global cricketing names do.

Karachi Kings

How will Karachi get the best out of their players?

On paper, Karachi Kings have one of the best squads in the entire league but the side has struggled to set the tournament alight so far.

The team’s biggest issue has been a lack of firepower at the top of the innings and that may well continue to haunt them in the fourth season as well.

Will Karachi stick with one captain?

Karachi Kings have had a whopping six different captains in just three years. Luckily for them, current skipper Imad Wasim has the best win ratio of all their skippers, having won four of the eight games that he has been in charge of the side for.

Can Babar Azam continue his brilliant form?

Having the world’s best T20I batsman in your side is quite a handy advantage indeed but Babar will have continue his impressive form if he is to guide Karachi to a maiden title.

The young top-order batsman showed his ability to adapt to any situation and has added another gear to his game. His ability to increase his strike-rate will be invaluable when Karachi invariably struggle for momentum at the top of the innings.

Islamabad United

Can Islamabad continue their impressive run?

Islamabad United have an impressive record in the Pakistan Super League, having won it twice in three editions so far. The two-time champions enjoy a 62.5% win ratio thanks to their impressive performances against all five sides throughout the three years so far.

The likes of Ian Bell, Cameron Delport, Phil Salt and Wayne Parnell will all provide the side with new blood while Muhammad Sami, Shadab Khan, Luke Ronchi, Samit Patel and RummanRaeescontinue to be the crux of the team.

How will the new leadership fare?

Veteran pacer Mohammad Sami has been given the reins of the team for the fourth edition of the domestic competition. Sami is an experienced campaigner and is the only bowler to take a hat-trick in all three formats of the game.

The side’s top wicket-taker so far has been superb for Islamabad so far but his leadership skills will be tested with nowhere to hide in the shortest format of the game.

Can Islamabad capitalise on their balance once again?

Islamabad still boast the most balanced side in the entire tournament, with a perfect blend of youthful exuberance and the wisdom that comes only with experience.

The 15-yer gap between the two openers, 37-year-old Luke Ronchi and 22-year-old Sahibzada Farhan, shows just how perfectly the side has managed to blend the two extremes.

The team boasts an entire array of all-rounders such as Cameron Delport, Amad Butt, HussainTalat, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf and Samit Patel that can fire with both bat and ball, while their bowling attack also doesn’t look too shabby with the likes of Sami and Shadab spearheading the pace and spin departments.

]]>https://getnews.socioon.com/three-questions-each-psl-team-needs-to-answer/feed/0Pitbull will not be performing at the PSL opening ceremonyhttps://getnews.socioon.com/pitbull-will-not-be-performing-at-the-psl-opening-ceremony/
https://getnews.socioon.com/pitbull-will-not-be-performing-at-the-psl-opening-ceremony/#respondThu, 14 Feb 2019 14:57:01 +0000http://www.getnews.tv/pitbull-will-not-be-performing-at-the-psl-opening-ceremony/

American rapper Pitbull has broken hearts of many cricket fans after he said he won’t be performing at the PSL opening ceremony today (Thursday) in Dubai.

In a video message posted on his Twitter account, the singer said he was very excited to go to Dubai and be a part of the PSL4 but he could not do so due to a plane fault.

“Pieces of the [airplane’s] engine had come apart” after a test flight and that was why he would be unable to reach Dubai for the opening ceremony, he said.

“I deeply apologise to the fans and hope to see you all next year or some other time around,” he added. “Between me and the Pakistan Cricket Board, we tried our hardest to get over to Dubai. I just wanna say I’m sorry, I apologise, deeply apologise for that.”

A colourful opening ceremony will officially mark the start of the star-studded T20 competition on Thursday as local and international stars such as Junoon, Aima Baig, Fawad Khan, Young Desi, Shuja Haider and Boney M with enthrall the audience with their performances.

An excellent display of firework will light up the skies of Dubai as all six captains will be present with their sides.

PSL4 will start from February 14 and will conclude on March 17. The final will be played at the National Stadium in Karachi.

Real Madrid needed a late winner from Marco Asensio and VAR’s debut in the Champions League to beat a spirited Ajax 2-1 in the first-leg of the last-16 on Wednesday.

Ajax have not beaten Madrid in 24 years and thought they were on their way at the Johan Cruyff Arena when Nicolas Tagliafico headed home after a Thibaut Courtois error.

But referee Damir Skomina judged Dusan Tadic to be offside upon review and Madrid showed no pity on their youthful opponents, Karim Benzema and Asensio scoring two precious away goals in the second half.

Hakim Ziyech’s equaliser at least keeps Ajax in touch heading into the second-leg at the Santiago Bernabeu but Asensio’s 87th-minute winner was a sucker-punch in a match the Dutch team had largely dominated.

Their ruled out opener will only add to the sense of what might have been and it was no surprise to see a cluster of red and white shirts surrounding the officials at the final whistle.

VAR has been introduced to the Champions League for the first time in this year’s knock-out stages and leaflets were distributed to the media before kick-off, one of the points explaining how reviews should only be for “clear and obvious mistakes”.

UEFA later tweeted Ajax’s goal was “correctly overturned for offside” but Tadic’s intervention on Courtois was minimal and it seemed generous to deem it enough for a call to be reversed.

“We can’t see the replay,” Madrid coach Santiago Solari said. “We have to be confident in what the referees say.”

“I saw it,” said Ajax’s Erik ten Hag. “In my opinion it was not offside and I don’t see it as a foul on the goalkeeper either.”

Still, there was more than an hour to play and Ajax were twice too easily undone on the counter-attack. Frenkie de Jong, who will join Barcelona in the summer, and Matthijs de Ligt, who could follow him, were each dealt a lesson in the ruthlessness of top European football.

It was put to Solari afterwards that Ajax had deserved more.

“That is your opinion — we had to work, to suffer, to create,” he said. “You have to survive the pressure sometimes. These things are part of the game too.”

Gareth Bale was reinstated to the Madrid starting line-up but there was no place for Marcelo, who missed his first Champions League knock-out game in four years.

“We hope to have Narine with us as soon as possible because he is a true match winner. It’s a blow just before the start of HBL PSL but we will try to cope with it. We have got the depth in our squad as there are plenty other match-winners. We wish Narine a quick recovery and hope to welcome him very soon during PSL,” said Quetta Gladiators coach Moin Khan.

Somerset leg-spinner Max Waller has been called in as the West Indies all-rounder’s replacement.

Quetta Gladiators kick off their PSL4 campaign when they take on last year’s finalists Peshawar Zalmi on February 15.

West Indies fast-bowler Shannon Gabriel was charged with a breach of conduct by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday after allegedly making a homophobic remark in an exchange with England captain Joe Root during the third Test.

Stump microphones picked up an interaction on the third day in St Lucia between Gabriel and Root, in which the latter responded: “Don’t use it as an insult. There’s nothing wrong with being gay.”

The ICC, cricket’s governing body, said Gabriel had been charged with a breach of its code of conduct in relation to the “personal abuse” of a player, umpire or match referee.

“The charge, which was laid by match umpires, will now be dealt with by Match Referee Jeff Crowe. Until the proceedings have concluded, the ICC will not comment further,” it said in a tweet.

Root refused to reveal what Gabriel said to him when asked by reporters.

The Childhood Cancer Awareness Day will be observed on Friday, 15 February which is also the International ChildHood Cancer Awareness Day, while the Breast Cancer Awareness Day will be observed on March 10.

February 15 will see Multan Sultans take on Karachi Kings in the opening match of the day followed by a game between Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators.

The four teams will be wearing golden ribbons to symbolize the occasion while various match equipment including the stumps will be decorated accordingly. The Dubai International Stadium, which will be hosting the games, will also be themed accordingly.

On March 10, Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will host the match between Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans, while National Stadium in Karachi will see Karachi Kings take on Quetta Gladiators.

All four teams over at both stadiums will be wearing pink ribbons synonymous with Breast Cancer Awareness Day, while the stadiums and match equipment will be themed accordingly.